


PARENTS DAY

by P5soleilnoir



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, p5soleilnoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:06:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24809746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P5soleilnoir/pseuds/P5soleilnoir
Summary: When Goro is all alone during Parents Appreciation Day at school, someone unexpected shows up to solve just that – and while Niijima Sae doesn't technically fall under the 'parent' category, Goro finds that this arrangement suits him just fine all the same.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Niijima Sae
Comments: 18
Kudos: 117





	PARENTS DAY

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written several months ago for [We Got Your Back Zine](https://twitter.com/wegotyourbackz1/), a project focusing on found families! The organizers just gave the green light to publish our works so here it is, a little Saegoro oneshot which I really enjoyed writing. Sae and Goro really are so cute together as a surrogate mother and her son... ;_; And I haven't written a story featuring them in forever, so I'm really glad to be finally able to post this. Please enjoy!
> 
> (General update: I'm almost done with Succession's rewrite, which means I'll go back to Cherry Bomb and Lovesick very soon! You can also expect a brand new fic from me in the next few weeks, a grand-scale story set in the P5R universe ;) Stay tuned!)

Akechi Goro hated Parents Appreciation Day.

Ever since elementary school, there had always been a day dedicated to students spending time with their relatives within the school grounds, usually in the form of activities and competitions. A quirky culture festival, in short, with the presence of outsiders being the silly gimmick.

Despite its name, it wasn’t only parents who were allowed in: older siblings, aunts, cousins, guardians, anything went so long as the invited was legally an adult. This custom was called Parents Appreciation Day simply out of convenience, but whether it had been called ‘Family’ or ‘Relatives’ Appreciation Day, Goro’s heart would have stung all the same.

Everywhere he looked, from the hallways to the classrooms, all he could see was fellow students laughing with their families, spending time together, trying the food stands here, playing various games there, just all around having fun as they made precious memories. The darts seemed to be the most popular activity at the moment, if the father and son celebrating their victory with a fist bump was anything to go by.

The wave of bitterness upon Goro’s features was one that was hard to conceal.

“Hey, Akechi-san, we need your help over here! Can you show the visitors around?” 

Goro startled, yanked out of his morose thoughts at once. His expression shifted in a flash, immediately displaying a practiced smile which was as beaming as the former shade in his eyes had been dark.

“Of course,” he responded affably to his classmate, before turning toward the visitors: a girl and who could only be her mother, both sharing a strikingly similar greedy look.

“See, Mom, that’s him—Akechi Goro-kun…”

“He does look as prim and proper as on TV—”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Goro plastered an even brighter smile on his face and bowed his head, sensing two pairs of enamored eyes upon him. “If you would please follow me…”

It was only thanks to years of constant practice that Goro managed to keep his smile up during the entire time he spent showing the visitors around. His class had set up a makeshift art gallery where was exhibited the works of his classmates. Goro had been appointed as one of the guides without being asked for his input on the matter, or barely; judging by the size of the crowd flocking to their attraction the moment they saw him stand there, Goro suspected it wasn't only—

_“You’re always so well-spoken, Akechi-san! If there’s someone who can sell our class’ exhibit, it’s totally you!”_

_“Yeah, and it definitely won’t hurt either that you're so fa—ow! What was that for?!”_

—that reason that motivated his classmates to appoint him so vehemently.

Essentially, he was nothing more than a poster boy. A bait made to attract the fish around, used as a tool so that his classmates could shine.

Something tugged at Goro’s lips once more, but all it produced was a wry, joyless curve unworthy of being called a smile.

“So this is class 3-1’s exhibition, I take it? It does look very nice. Those students at the school gate weren’t exaggerating when they said it was worth a visit.”

It cost Goro an awful effort to repress his gloomy sigh. When he faced the newcomer, however, his regular smile had returned, as though it never disappeared in the first place. 

“Thank you for your interest,” he said alongside a small incline of the head. “I may show you around if you’d like—”

“That won’t be necessary, Akechi-kun,” came the response, and Goro blinked confused eyes before they suddenly turned wide. “Given how weary you look, I think you’d rather not add yet another visitor to the dozens you probably already guided today.”

Niijima Sae took a step forward, swaying her hair out of her face and sporting one of those confident smiles that made her look almost like a queen. Goro stared lips parted, unable to comprehend her presence. 

“Sae-san…? What are you—what are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I came to attend Parents Appreciation Day,” she replied at once, certainly making him feel stupid for even asking. “I apologize for being late. I hope I didn’t miss out too much?”

“What…?” 

This was all Goro could say in return. Something about his dumbfounded face must have been amusing, for Sae-san let out a little snort.

“Don’t you remember mentioning at work how your school was holding this ‘Parents Appreciation Day’ event?” she asked, addressing him a teasing smile. “Well, I happen to not be buried in cases for once. I figured you might want some company.”

Goro looked at her as though she had suddenly started speaking to him in a foreign language. It took him several seconds to break out of his trance, although traces of disbelief still punctuated his speech when he responded, “And so, you came all the way here… for my sake?”

Her simple nod made his heart flip. Slowly, the astonishment wore off, replaced by yet another smile of his. It looked bright, cheerful… too much so.

“I really appreciate the gesture, Sae-san,” he said genuinely, the merest drop of melancholy tinting his smile as his gaze fell, “but you really don’t need to do that. You must have many obligations that matter much more than—”

“I stand by what I said,” she cut off, suddenly summoning her most familiar impatience. “At any rate, is there any way one of your classmates can replace you for an hour or so? Knowing how hard-working you are, I’m sure you can afford to take a breather.”

Goro could only remain rooted to the spot, baffled that Sae-san, of all people, would be the one to pressure him into taking a break. His brain still wasn’t entirely done processing this concept by the time she gestured at the classroom’s exit, although he complied all the same. With another classmate filling in his spot, Goro followed an inflexible Sae-san out of the room under disappointed laments and eager whispering. Those who pointed at them broke into excited gossip, but Goro found he surprisingly cared little; as soon as they set off and checked out every point of interest the day had to offer, whatever he had watched from the corner of a forlorn eye mere hours earlier was now lighting a childlike wonder within his former dull irises.

“An okonomiyaki stand? That’s impressive, given the limited means,” Sae-san commented as they came across classroom 1-2’s attraction, the salivating smell of fried food guiding them there. She gave the students behind the counter a glance. “We’ll have two, please.”

“Wha—Sae-san, you don’t have to—” Goro protested once realization sank in, although the way his stomach chose this precise moment to give a very loud rumble coupled with Sae-san’s teasing smirk astonished him to the point of speechlessness.

“Don’t have to treat you? Now that’s a first,” she said, throwing him a look glinting with mischief. “What happened to the Akechi-kun who’s always eager to sample various foods and restaurants at my paycheck’s expense?”

Goro parted his lips to reply, but found nothing to say and opted for an embarrassed chuckle instead. He instinctively grazed his cheek with his index finger, just like he did each time he was feeling embarrassed or sheepish. He didn’t blame Sae-san for being taken by surprise: it _was_ uncharacteristic of him to act so meek under the prospect of (usually luxurious) free food. But as he watched her hand him his okonomiyaki with an encouraging smile, he couldn’t shake off this discomfort of being thrown into something entirely new, this sensation of being confronted without warning to an unknown situation and having no clue as to how to handle it. It made him feel vulnerable, having Sae-san show up out of nowhere and accompany him through a day where he had always been alone until then… but he couldn’t pretend he truly disliked it.

“The taste’s fine, I suppose. A bit too rich,” she said after taking a bite, not even bothering to find some place to sit – she was apparently fine with eating while standing up in the middle of a busy hallway, much to Goro’s surprise. “Of course, it would be unfair to expect anything remarkable from a high school food stand, but—”

“It’s delicious,” Goro interrupted, his eyes forming two perfect crescents on his face as he chomped down on a large piece of his meal. Sae-san blinked at him, and then answered with a smile of her own.

A short while later, the two of them were throwing their soiled cardboard plates into the nearest trash can. Goro made it a point not to leave even one bite of okonomiyaki behind as courtesy for Sae-san’s generosity, but he was beginning to think he might have bitten more than he could chew – literally. The portion had been huge; his uncomfortably full stomach could attest to that.

Sae-san, however, seemed to have no care in the world. She was now ranting at him as they resumed their walk through the school, apparently unhappy with his diet which she judged ‘too inconsistent and poor.’

“Don’t believe I haven’t noticed you having nothing but an apple for lunch those past days. Not only a single apple doesn’t even begin to cover the nutritional values you need as a growing teenager, it's also definitely not enough to provide you with the energy you need to sustain yourself on a daily basis. I understand you are busy, and this is exactly why I’m concerned—you probably don’t even cook your own meals at home, do you?”

Her suspicious glare was like she was confronting a naughty child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Goro gulped, a bit at a loss with how overbearing she was, even by Sae-san’s standards.

“Um, that’s right… I usually rely on prepackaged food and frozen meals, but—”

“You can’t go around like this,” she interrupted, and the sensation of being scolded like an unruly boy intensified in Goro’s mind. “I mean, I suppose you shouldn’t take it to the extreme either—Makoto's the complete opposite of you—but you do need to pay more attention to your well-being. Starting with a more balanced diet.”

“I’ll try to be more careful from now on,” he replied alongside a nervous chuckle, before his sheepish gaze fell at his feet.

The following hour was spent in a cheerful atmosphere, with Goro undecided on what surprised him the most: him actually enjoying himself during Parents Appreciation Day, or Sae-san visibly and noticeably having fun. She was such a no-nonsense person, had been nothing else ever since they first met, it seemed almost foreign to see her show genuine enthusiasm at the various exhibits, partake in whatever activities caught their eye, even laugh at the silly shenanigans of classroom 2-3’s comedy routines—

“Look, it’s Akechi-kun! And… Wait, who’s that?”

“Could that be his mother?!”

“Don’t be stupid… They look nothing alike!”

“Then who else?!”

“I’m telling you, that’s totally his mom! She looks too gorgeous, just like him!”

“No wonder Akechi-kun’s so handsome!”

…Goro realized he might have spoken too soon. Sae-san froze mid-laugh, her radiant face taking on a dark, murderous edge so fast it seemed almost a feat.

“…I don’t look that old, do I…?” she muttered gloomily more or less to herself, and Goro felt a single bead of sweat trickle down his back.

“O-Of course not,” he assured her, but the way his chuckle sounded so forced might have had the opposite effect. Her glare, at any rate, made him shrink. It took an impressive amount of matcha-flavored mochi (courtesy of classroom 3-4's confectionary stand) for her smile to return.

“The Parents Athletics Event is about to begin! Five minutes left to enter! Come on, come on, don’t be shy!”

A booming voice suddenly rang out across the hallway, coming from the cafeteria entrance. Visitors were making their way there at a brisk pace, all sporting obvious levels of excitement on their faces. Goro and Sae-san followed, or were engulfed into the masses more like, stepping into the large room. All the tables and chairs had been removed, instead filled with numerous stages scattered everywhere and surrounded by energetic crowds.

“What’s happening here, Akechi-kun?” Sae-san asked, eyeing the stages with great interest – more than Goro had expected from her.

“Ah, it’s a staple of Parents Appreciation Day. The school organizes it every year,” Goro shouted over a particularly loud cheer that came from the nearest huddle of people. “Parents who are willing to participate can compete against one another in whatever sport is available. There’s archery, aikido, kendo, even track and field outside…”

“I see,” Sae-san replied, and before Goro could realize what she was doing, she was already scurrying toward the stage in the middle of the cafeteria and wiggling her way through the crowd, all the way to the front row. Goro, slightly taken aback, followed after her with much less ease.

“Um, Sae-san? What are you doing?” he asked as Sae-san took a step forward, only to be completely ignored. The host was pleading eagerly for one last participant: four adults were already waiting on stage, each facing a training dummy. When he noticed Sae-san raise her hand, he exploded into a thunderous cry of joy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our final participant! Come on up, come on up, Ma’am—”

“Sae-san?!” Goro cried out, receiving merely a mischievous smile in response. “Are you—are you really going up there?”

“I’m somewhat fond of kickboxing,” she answered simply with a shrug, and Goro was so disarmed by this that he did not find anything to say in return.

“Give her a big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!” the host bellowed as Sae-san climbed onstage, his request received by a deafening cheer. He then shoved his mike to her face and added, “May I ask what brings you to our prestigious school?”

“I came to accompany Akechi Goro around the festival,” Sae-san responded without a single trace of hesitation, much to Goro’s sheepishness. Someone elbowed him in the ribs, and Goro looked aside to see appreciative smirks on his fellow classmates’ faces.

“Damn, Akechi! You never told us about your babe of a mom!”

“Think you can introduce us after the competition’s over?”

“I… I think you’re mistaken,” Goro stammered weakly alongside a nervous chuckle, raising his hands in a sign of misunderstanding. “She’s not my—”

“And… begin!”

But the loud cries of encouragement drowned Goro’s protest in a flash – each contestant began beating their own training dummy like their lives depended on it under the awe of all. Very soon, a sheen of sweat covered their foreheads, but their determination to show off their skills exceeded whatever discomfort they might feel. Sae-san, for her part, was merely stretching out her legs, blind and deaf to the perplexed mutters of the crowd. They might as well have been invisible.

And then, it happened.

In one swift motion, so fast it was but a mere blur in that split second, Sae-san’s leg collided squarely into the training dummy, with such unthinkable strength its head snapped right off the torso and was sent flying across the very end of the room. A long silence followed afterwards, broken only by the questioning remarks of the other onlookers as they turned away from their own shows. Moments later, a huge, elephantine roar resounded, every single spectator around the kickboxing stage clapping their hands until their palms were red.

“The—the clear winner!” the host blared into his mike, only fueling the ear-splitting cheering, while Goro’s classmates rejoiced in kind.

“Ho-lee shit…!”

“Did you see that?!”

“She’s freakin’ Wonder Woman!”

Goro, for his part, was at a loss for words like never before. He stared at Sae-san mouth agape, stupefaction rooting him to the spot before amazement took over. When she came swaggering down the stage, he distinctly heard someone wolf-whistle.

“Shall we go?” she asked, smiling not like a queen but an outright conqueror as she waggled the winning ribbon in her hand for him to see. Not waiting for his answer, she paced away, back straight and chin held high. Feeling the starry-eyed gazes of the crowd upon him, Goro grazed his cheek with his index finger and followed after her at a trot.  
  
  
  
  
  
The rest of their day went on peacefully, with no notorious incident to take note of. Far from the sigh of immense relief he usually produced, Goro felt for what might very well have been the first time a twinge in his heart as the setting sun and emptying school indicated the end of Parents Appreciation Day.

Dozens of students and family members were leaving the grounds, their bags brimming with food and souvenirs, all sharing a laugh as they recounted the best moments of their day. Goro gazed at them through wistful eyes, his senses reacting pleasantly to the early evening breeze against his face. His throat felt rather tight for some reason.

“Thanks, Sae-san.”

Sae-san, who was in the process of sliding her phone into her bag after giving her sister a call, stopped in her tracks. She threw him an askew, intrigued glance.

“I really had a lot of fun today,” Goro carried on, hating how strained his voice sounded. “And I… owe it all to you.”

Their eyes met. Sae-san peered at him for a very long time, features unfathomable, the chatter of the people around seemingly dying down in that one moment as the world went mute. Then, all of a sudden… she smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that. It was a nice day for me too,” she said playfully, catching him completely off-guard. “And since we both feel this way, why end it so soon?”

Goro wasn’t sure he properly heard. He tilted his head aside, letting an awkward silence fill the air before delivering a not so bright-sounding, “Huh?”

“I saw great reviews about this yakiniku place that just opened,” she continued, readjusting her bag onto her shoulder. “My treat.”

“Really?” Goro asked as he lifted a slightly lighter, hopeful gaze at her, not daring to believe his ears.

“Of course. Now let’s go, _Goro-kun.”_

With a small, self-satisfied smile, Sae-san turned on her heels and strode away, leaving a very astonished Goro behind as his brain struggled to process the enormity of what just happened. In the end, it completely failed: he just remained there, blinking round eyes once, twice, three times in a way that did not make him look particularly clever; only the vague sight of Sae-san meddling away with the crowd finally managed to make him snap out of his utter bewilderment. Feeling a slight flush rise to his cheeks, he broke into a clumsy run, and hastened to plead.

“Ah, Sae-san! Wait for me—!”

* * *


End file.
